Anybody ever see this movie before? I saw part of it on a bootleg download. What's the story on this movie getting banned in the U.S.?

James Boba Fettfield

04-08-2003, 11:29 PM

It's not banned in the US, Disney just wants us to forget they ever made it.

EDIT-Just try this (http://www.songofthesouth.net/home.html) website for all of the information you could ever want to know about the movie.

LAST EDIT-Ok, this part (http://www.songofthesouth.net/faq/index.html#3) of the site might explain to you better why the movie isn't so popular these days, even though I fully support its release. Really, the movie isn't bad.

PoggleTheGreater

04-09-2003, 04:35 AM

Thanks for the link JBF. I don't think the movie's racist, intentionally or accidentally. I hope it gets released again someday.

Beast

04-09-2003, 05:01 AM

Agreed, it's not racist in the least. It's just a product of a differnt time, and doesn't deserve to be forgotten for that. But Disney hates to admit that they ever did stereotypical charecters in any of it's old films. So would rather bury the past then confront it.

That's also why Fantasia today is butchered, to remove the black skinned Centaurs. All they need to do, is present the film properly in the context of it being a product of a differnt age. And that the ideas presented in the film are not Disney's current mindset. And have James Earl Jones host the DVD and features about it.

Frankly, "Gone with the wind" is much worse in how it sterotypes black people. But you don't see that not being released for the reason. Disney would just rather walk on eggshells and try not to offend. But in doing so, they offend all film enthusiests in how they choose to handle the situation. It's really a shame how "PC" the world has become. :)

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

2-1B

04-09-2003, 11:09 AM

I just wish Disney would "forget" about releasing other movies like Beauty & The Beast, The Lion King, et. al ;)

Binks, if it isn't racist "in the least" as you say, then how could it have stereotypical characters? :confused:
I haven't seen the movie so I don't know how racist it is or is not, but that claim sounds a bit contradictory to me. :confused:

Beast

04-09-2003, 11:24 AM

Caesar, when I say it's not racist in the least I mean it. It's not intended to be a racist portrayl of black people. But the charecters are stereotypical representations of people from the timeframe the story takes place.

Uncle Remus is infact portrayed as the most intelligent and sympathetic charecter in the film. Telling folk tales to the two white children, to help one of them deal with his family's seperation. Not to mention James Baskett who played Uncle Remus recieved an Honorary Academy Award for his role.

What's really funny, is that as much as Disney tries to forget the film exists, there is a picture from it on the latest "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" DVD release. And the fact that Splash Mountain still exists in the themeparks, but have been basically sanitized to remove almost any refrence to the film. :)

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

James Boba Fettfield

04-09-2003, 11:28 AM

Stereotypes exist within Song of the South, without question. And that is the true key to why certain individuals object to the film. Something that is never discussed, however, is the presence of stereotypes in the film other than those in relation to the African-Americans. Look at every main character in the film, in fact, and you can find at least one stereotype—in their clothing, in their actions, in their words. You can even take it a step further and look at the scenery. The entire Southern plantation is a stereotype. The plain fact is, most innocent stereotypes are based upon the common denominator of reality. These stereotypes are the easiest to convey because they are a generalization to which many people are familiar with. Cartoon characters are stereotypes. I must stress that Disney used only innocent stereotypes—that is, stereotypes that do not make fun of characteristics of people or things. Some will always argue, however, that the stereotypes conveyed in Song of the South are not all innocent. This point will never be settled because of the heinous act of slavery African-Americans were forced to endure for so long, and although this movie is about as innocent as it can get, especially for the time period it was produced in, that is why this film teeters uncomfortably on the edge of acceptance and unacceptance.

That's a statement made by Christian Willis, and it's the best explanation I've seen of what the movie has in it concerning stereotypes.

evenflow

04-09-2003, 12:01 PM

They should just release it.

Fulit

04-09-2003, 12:13 PM

Originally posted by evenflow
They should just release it.

Yep. No one would think twice to release a "stereotypical" movie about white people. I for one am tired of this generation paying for mistakes of the previous.

PoggleTheGreater

04-09-2003, 04:50 PM

Yep. No one would think twice to release a "stereotypical" movie about white people. I for one am tired of this generation paying for mistakes of the previous.

You said it. Wouldn't it be funny if they started a United Anglo Colledge Fund?:D

I just wish Disney would "forget" about releasing other movies like Beauty & The Beast, The Lion King, et. al

What?! Those are some of the best animated films ever released.

Mandalorian Candidat

04-09-2003, 05:37 PM

Does anyone remember the Song of the South parody SNL did a few years back with Tim Meadows and Tracy Morgan? It was a phony commercial for "Uncle Jemima's Mash Liquor" complete with cartoon birds and squirrels.

If SNL doesn't have a problem producing that then why is Disney so uptight?

PoggleTheGreater

04-09-2003, 05:40 PM

I don't think SNL is as worried about offending people as Disney is.

Eternal Padawan

04-09-2003, 08:59 PM

The odd thing is, I've seen this movie several times when they played it on ABC's Woderful World of Disney back in the late 70's/Early 80's. Every Sunday night was an odd mixture of 60 Minutes and old Disney films for me. So if Disney didn't have a problem with mass broadcasts of the darn thing then, why disavow its existence now?

I wrote an in-depth paper on this film and why it hadn't been released for a journalism class in college. I got an A. I got the idea for it because my dad had fond memories of this movie from when he was a lad and he was upset he could never find it on VHS. I managed to find a bootleg at Celebration II of all places and gave it to him for his birthday.

The problem "people" have with the film, according to Disney, is that it portrays slaves enjoying slavery. All smiles and good times for the oppressed. ;)

I would really like this film on DVD.

Beast

04-09-2003, 09:13 PM

Originally posted by Eternal Padawan
The problem "people" have with the film, according to Disney, is that it portrays slaves enjoying slavery. All smiles and good times for the oppressed. ;)
Which isn't technically accurate, since the time frame for the film is after the civil war and after the slaves were free. Of course people will often disregard that info, when they make a case for how "terrible" the film is. :)

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

Darth Jax

04-09-2003, 10:09 PM

i recall seeing the movie in school as a youngster. and the uncle remus tales were some of my fave stories growing up. but as they say when i was a child i spake as a child. now that i'm a man (some would argue that point) i speak as a man. and i say bring on the dvd. as has been argued on these forums many times, if something offends you, then don't expose yourself to it. if the portrayals in song of the south are offensive, no ones forcing you to buy it and watch it. it would be a best seller as all disney releases are i'm sure.

2-1B

04-10-2003, 01:30 AM

Originally posted by JarJarBinks
Which isn't technically accurate, since the time frame for the film is after the civil war and after the slaves were free. Of course people will often disregard that info, when they make a case for how "terrible" the film is. :)

So, the movie does not have slaves in it? That's the impression I always got from reading the debates on the film (remember, I haven't even seen it myself :) ).

Beast

04-10-2003, 01:51 AM

I reread the background on the film. It does take place in the South but it's after the Civil War and the Slaves had been freed. Plus like I said, Uncle Remus is treated as the most intelligent and compassionate charecter in the film. Take a look at the following link, as well as giving a read of the full thesis on the film, that JBF posted a part of earlier. :)

In Defense of Walt Disney's Song of the South

By Christian Willis, September 1, 2001. Revised 9/20/01.

Ever since Song of the South's last theatrical release in 1986, people have come up with their own rumors why the movie wasn't showing up—some were extreme, some were quite close to home. Then, in 1996, Song of the South's 50th anniversary arrived and passed without a word. A few Song of the South Disney collectibles appeared and were quickly snatched up by hopeful collectors, but that was it. I thought to myself, if Disney hasn't released one of its best-known movies for its 50th anniversary, something is definitely wrong here. I have decided to attempt to set the records straight. The fact that Song of the South has been viewed in a bad light for so long combined with the unchangeable fact of when it was filmed, it will never be possible to resurrect its reputation fully. But I hope that through this article readers will be enlightened as to the true background and intention of this film, and will be able to judge for themselves.

To truly understand all that is going on within Song of the South, we must begin with a man named Joel Chandler Harris. Born in 1848, Harris grew up during the days of the antebellum South, when slavery was still very much a part of life. He lived on the Turnwold Plantation and spent a great deal of his time with the slaves. One slave in particular, Uncle Bob Capers, told him fantastic stories of anthropomorphic characters. Those stories, along with the unique dialect in which he told them, remained in Harris' mind, until 1876, when he took over a column in the Atlanta Constitution called "Uncle Si." He did not like the way the column was run and so he renamed it to "Uncle Remus" and published the tales Uncle Bob Capers had told him. The stories were an instant success, and in 1880, Harris published his first book, "Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings." The book instantly placed Harris alongside famous writers such as Mark Twain, Whitcome Riley and George Washington Cable. Harris went on to publish another ten books on the stories of "Uncle Remus," and even created the Uncle Remus Magazine, which he ran with his son Julian until his death in 1908.

It is my belief that this man was compassionate towards the slaves he grew up listening to. And, after the Civil War had passed, cared about them as free Americans as well. I do not believe that a man who spent literally his entire life immersed in the language of the African-Americans could have any malicious intent towards them. It can then be said that the tales Walt Disney would later base his movie upon were created with the innocent intent to publicize and thereby preserve the stories of the slaves through literature.

Walt Disney grew up reading those same stories that Joel Chandler Harris wrote. Like so many other children enthralled with the lively tales of Uncle Remus, Disney envisioned that someday he would use his artistic talent to immortalize them on screen. Since the 1930's, Disney had experimented with combining live-action with animation in his Alice Comedies, but it really wasn't until after 1941 with The Three Caballeros that technology looked promising for Walt's vision of Uncle Remus walking among his fanciful creations.

This would prove to be Walt Disney's first attempt at a film weighing heavily on the live-action aspect. If at all possible, Disney would have most likely left it all to animation, but Disney could not fully demonstrate to the audience the contrast between the real-life and fantasy aspects without this method. This, then, raised the concern of how the African-Americans in the film were to be portrayed. Disney and his company must have understood that to portray the African-Americans as slaves would be extremely controversial and completely inappropriate. Likewise, to omit them completely would have destroyed the live-action side altogether. Since these stories belonged to the African-American's heritage, their presence in the film was an integral part. To have omitted them would have been a slap in the face to both Joel Chandler Harris as well as the African-American community.

Let us then look at the steps Disney took to dealing with thematic elements that involved a woeful scar on America's reputation. There are a couple of key relationships in the film that demonstrate an attempt at transcending this awkward situation. First, there is Johnny's close bond with Uncle Remus. This was true to Joel Chandler Harris' stories. With this relationship you see a young white boy confiding in an old black man. Clearly Uncle Remus was a father figure to Johnny while his real father was away in Atlanta. You then see Uncle Remus holding hands with Johnny at various times throughout the film. This conveys a strong feeling of trust and friendship. Next, there is the relationship between Uncle Remus and Miss Doshy. Twice in the movie Uncle Remus and Miss Doshy engage in a brief but meaningful dialogue that shows they are on a same level of maturity and have mutual respect for each other. Lastly, note that only once at the beginning of the film when Ned removes the bags from the carriage do we see any direct act of servitude towards a white individual. Surely this factor was omitted for a reason, as it was not necessary for the film's story.

Stereotypes exist within Song of the South, without question. And that is the true key to why certain individuals object to the film. Something that is never discussed, however, is the presence of stereotypes in the film other than those in relation to the African-Americans. Look at every main character in the film, in fact, and you can find at least one stereotype—in their clothing, in their actions, in their words. You can even take it a step further and look at the scenery. The entire Southern plantation is a stereotype. The plain fact is, most innocent stereotypes are based upon the common denominator of reality. These stereotypes are the easiest to convey because they are a generalization to which many people are familiar with. Cartoon characters are stereotypes. I must stress that Disney used only innocent stereotypes—that is, stereotypes that do not make fun of characteristics of people or things. Some will always argue, however, that the stereotypes conveyed in Song of the South are not all innocent. This point will never be settled because of the heinous act of slavery African-Americans were forced to endure for so long, and although this movie is about as innocent as it can get, especially for the time period it was produced in, that is why this film teeters uncomfortably on the edge of acceptance and unacceptance.

I do not blame those who are uncomfortable with this movie or object to it entirely—they have their valid reasons, just as I have mine. When Walt Disney created this film back in 1946, I sincerely doubt he thought ahead to 2001, where his film has created a conflict: anger in some minds and fond childhood memories in others. I am one of those minds whom this movie touched at a young age and filled with wonderful tales. I can assure you that as a child I never once considered race as I watched Uncle Remus tell his tales about Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear.

In a world today where sex, drugs, and violence overwhelms and taints the silver screen, it angers me. But alas, that doesn't stop it from being shown. At least Song of the South made an attempt at showing harmony, something I rarely see in today's movies. And not only did it attempt at showing harmony within a family, but harmony between races as well; that was a big accomplishment for a film back in the 1940's when segregation was still very much a part of life. This is my plea, and I don't think I'm alone in this: please bring back Song of the South. I respect the views of those who object to this movie, but I don't think it's fair to prevent those who saw something a bit more positive in it from seeing it and preventing future generations from possibly benefitting in the same way. Imperfect or not, it's still a film, and a relatively harmless one at that.

Sincerely,
Christian Willis
http://www.songofthesouth.net/home.html

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

Beast

04-10-2003, 02:14 AM

I'll post the plot synopsis and Critical analysis here as well, so that people who don't like to read other pages can read it here. Plus it makes it easier to refer to when your talking about the film if there is a copy here. And I slapped on a copy of the picture from the film, that was included on the recent Roger Rabbit DVD. :)

Synopsis of Song of the South
Adapted by Christian Willis

Seven-year-old Johnny is excited about what he believes to be a vacation at his grandmother's Georgia plantation with his parents, John Sr. and Sally. When they arrive at the plantation, he discovers that his parents are separating and he is to live in the country with his mother and grandmother while his father returns to Atlanta to continue his controversial editorship in the city's newspaper. Johnny, distraught because his father has never left him or his mother before, leaves that night under cover of darkness and sets off for Atlanta with only a small hobo sack.

As Johnny sneaks away from the plantation, he is attracted by the voice of Uncle Remus, telling tales of a character named Brer Rabbit. Curious, Johnny hides behind a nearby tree to spy on the group of people sitting around the fire. By this time, word has gotten out that Johnny is gone and the servants, who are sent out to find him, ask if Uncle Remus has seen the boy. Uncle Remus replies that he's with him. Shortly afterwards, he catches up with Johnny who sits crying on a nearby log. He befriends the young boy and offers him some food for the journey, taking him back to his cabin.

As Uncle Remus cooks, he mentions Brer Rabbit again and the boy, curious, asks him to tell him more. After Uncle Remus tells a tale about Brer Rabbit's attempt to run away from home, Johnny takes the advice and changes his mind about leaving the plantation, letting Uncle Remus take him back to his mother.

Johnny makes friends with Toby, a little black boy who lives on the plantation, and Ginny Favers, a poor white neighbor. However, Ginny's two older brothers, Joe and Jake, are not friendly at all. They constantly bully Ginny and Johnny. When Ginny gives Johnny a puppy her brothers want to drown, a fight breaks out among the three boys.

Heartbroken because his mother won't let him keep the puppy, Johnny takes the dog to Uncle Remus and tells him of his troubles. Uncle Remus takes the dog in and delights Johnny and his friends with the fable of Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby, stressing how one shouldn't go messing around with something they have no business with in the first place. Johnny heeds the advice of how Brer Rabbit used reverse psychology on Brer Fox and begged the Favers boys not to tell their mother about the dog. They do and get a good spanking for it. Enraged, both boys go to the plantation and tell Johnny's mother, who is upset that Uncle Remus kept the dog despite her order, unbeknownst to Uncle Remus. She orders the old man not to tell any more stories to her son.

The day of Johnny's birthday arrives. Johnny picks up Ginny to take her to his party. Ginny's mother used her wedding dress to make her a beautiful dress for the party. On the way there, however, Joe and Jake pick another fight. Ginny gets pushed and ends up in a mud puddle. With her dress ruined, Ginny refuses to go to the party. Johnny doesn't want to go either, especially since his father won't be there. Uncle Remus discovers the two dejected children and cheers them by telling the story of Brer Rabbit and his "Laughing Place". When Uncle Remus returns to the plantation with the children, Sally meets them on the way and is angry at Johnny for not having attended his own birthday party. Ginny mentions Uncle Remus telling them a story and Sally draws the line, warning Uncle Remus not to spend time with Johnny any more.

Uncle Remus, saddened by the misunderstanding of his good intentions, packs his bags and leaves for Atlanta. Johnny, seeing Uncle Remus leaving from a distance, rushes to intercept him, taking a shortcut through the pasture where he is attacked and seriously injured by the resident bull.

While Johnny hovers between life and death, his father returns and reconciles with Sally. But Johnny calls for Uncle Remus, who had returned in all the commotion. Uncle Remus began telling a tale of Brer Rabbit and the Laughing Place again, and the boy miraculously survives.

Critical Analysis of Song of the South By Christian Willis.

I believe this film is much more intricately involved than some may realize or remember. Walt Disney did quite well in his first step into a real-life drama story, having previously only dealt with cartoon stories. Parallels abound and make this movie one of Walt Disney's finest, combining a life-like drama with fanciful tales and weaving them into one seamless gem.

In the opening scene, as Johnny and his parents travel on the road to the plantation, John and Sally reminisc about their childhood there and how an old resident named Uncle Remus used to tell them tales about Brer Rabbit. This establishes the presence of what was once a strong bond between Uncle Remus, Sally, and John. As John leaves the plantation this breaks the link between him and Sally, and also begins the slow decent into the story's layers of conflicts.

Early on, as Johnny and Uncle Remus hold hands as they return to his cabin, it is clear to see the racial prejudice of its day has not affected this child. The story Uncle Remus tells Johnny about Brer Rabbit running away is an obvious analogy he has drawn to Johnny's current situation and he smartly applies it and returns home. Sally gets word that Uncle Remus is with the boy and is relieved to see him when Uncle Remus returns with him. Uncle Remus covers for the boy and Sally is only minorly irritated that Johnny had left the house to visit the old man for a story at such a late hour. When Toby hands Johnny's hobo sack to Sally, however, she realizes her son was planning to run away and sees how Uncle Remus covered up for him. For Sally, this creates a mistrust in Uncle Remus, and the link between her and him strains.

Immediately thereafter, Uncle Remus and Miss Doshy have a short dialogue concerning the boy's troubles. It is at this point one sees that the two elders of the plantation share a common wisdom, concern and confidence in each other, even through their differences. This is one of the greatest parts of the film in that it shows the gap bridged between races and how wisdom and friendship overcome such an ugly boundary.

Johnny befriends Ginny and accepts the offer to keep Teenchy, the dog Joe and Jake wish to drown. At this point, a parallel can be drawn to Joe and Jake as Brer Bear and Brer Fox for obvious reasons: Joe, being tall, burly and dull-witted with brown hair, and Jake, being a little more scrawny, but wiser and faster, with sandy hair. Johnny, of course, is Brer Rabbit, "being little an' without much strength." The second Uncle Remus story sequence makes this parallel clear as Brer Rabbit puts his foot in it, quite literally. Hitting the Tar Baby was something he had no business doing, just as messing with the Favers boys Johnny had no business doing. The only way for Brer Rabbit to get out of the mess was to play reverse psychology on Brer Fox and beg him NOT to be flung into the briar patch, which was exactly where he wanted to go. The thorns were enticing to the fox, but he did not think of the final outcome.

Joe and Jake, who have just been tricked in the same way by Johnny who applied the story to his own predicament, go to the plantation to tell Sally despite Uncle Remus trying to ward them off at the door. Sally comes out and suddenly Uncle Remus is now in the middle once again. The Favers tell Sally about the dog and how he tricked them into getting spanked. Uncle Remus covers up for Johnny again by telling her about keeping the dog for him. But before he can explain that Johnny never told him that she had ordered him to give the dog back to the Favers, she cuts him off, suggesting he should refrain from telling Johnny any stories for awhile. This breaks the poor old man's heart. Not only is she forbidding Uncle Remus from doing his favorite thing, but through this denial she is breaking off her childhood link with him.

Depressed, he still defends Johnny yet again the next day when the Favers boys get into a brawling fight with Johnny on the way to his birthday party. Johnny is angry, Ginny is crying, and Uncle Remus is downright disheartened. But they all sit down on a log beside the mill pond and before you know it, Uncle Remus' third story, The Laughing Place, rolls out and all three are happy again. He broke Sally's request because no one deserves to be unhappy and he had the answer. They meet up with Sally on the way back to the plantation and, upon hearing he has told another story to Johnny, forbids Remus from coming into contact with with the boy at all. This crushes him, and with that Uncle Remus decides to leave because all he can see is he is not wanted.

We can now see Uncle Remus ignoring his own advice and stories. His self-pity and depression get the best of him. But perhaps the real reason is much deeper. To be able to reach beyond racial differences through his stories and receive appreciation for it gave him a deeper satisfaction and allowed him to spend a brief period of time in equality. When Sally rejected it, she denied him of both his happiness and his human right of equality. He set off for Atlanta in hopes of finding others who would be more understanding and appreciative of his stories, but moreso to get back at Sally for her stubbornness and blindness. The story of Brer Rabbit runs away is now reflected in his own actions.

All this builds up to the climax of the movie. Suddenly, Johnny realizes where his Laughing Place is. He runs to Uncle Remus' cabin only to find it bare. In this moment Johnny has both been denied of his Laughing Place and his happiness, which was derived from Uncle Remus. Uncle Remus focused merely on Sally's rejection and not the domino effect it would have on her son. Distraught and refusing to let Uncle Remus go, Johnny crosses the bull pasture to intercept the departing coach and gets hit by the bull.

On his deathbed, he calls over and over for Uncle Remus, the only part of Johnny's life that is still of any value to him. Uncle Remus is summoned for downstairs and when he returns, he begins to paint a picture of his cabin through his soft storytelling voice. One can only imagine the conflict going on in Sally's mind now. What she had so cruelly rejected was now her son's link to survival. Johnny opens his eyes and sees Uncle Remus, then looks to his left, where his father is standing. This boosts him further and it is clear to see things are looking better. At this point, the father figure Uncle Remus had taken on in John's absence is passed back to Johnny's true father, and Uncle Remus steps back. It is then that Sally and John both speak of Uncle Remus' stories to the little boy, and in that moment a reconciliation is drawn between both Sally and John, and Sally and Uncle Remus's relationships. Miss Doshy and Uncle Remus share the final moments together with that same common wisdom they shared earlier, and things are looking "mighty satisfactual."
MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

THE Slayer

04-25-2003, 08:48 PM

I heard that Disney legally can't re-release SOTS. Bill Cosby figures into the equation somewhere as he owns rights to something involved.

James Boba Fettfield

04-25-2003, 08:54 PM

That's just a popular rumor. No truth to it.

Tonysmo

04-27-2003, 05:21 AM

wow.. I certainly remember having the childrens book. I had NOOOOO idea it went that far and so indepth.
I'd love to see that movie should it appear in the states...

Eternal Padawan

04-27-2003, 07:59 AM

I just watched it again last week. Compared to alot of other films involving stereotyping this one is pretty tame. The cartoon characterizations were a little over-the-top from what I remembered, especially Brer Rabbit. But the live action stuff? Couldn't see it.

Originally posted by Mandalorian Candidat
Does anyone remember the Song of the South parody SNL did a few years back with Tim Meadows and Tracy Morgan? It was a phony commercial for "Uncle Jemima's Mash Liquor" complete with cartoon birds and squirrels.

Uncle Remus: "If you're like me, you like to get bent and get bent fast. Who doesn't?

This $%# will get you #%%^& for less money too!"

I saw the rerelease in 1986 (I was 5 or 6 at the time). I don't remember much about the film except the Zip-pi-dee-doo-dah song and really hadn't thought about it much since I went on the Breir Rabbit water ride at the Magic Kingdom.

2-1B

04-27-2003, 11:04 PM

THIS MOVIE is where that "zipa dee daa" song is from? :rolleyes:

Damn, I hated that song as a kid. :mad:
I hope Disney does keep it shelved. ;)

That SNL sketch is great, I saw it again recently. My favorite part is when Tim Meadows asks "what are you swatting at?" :D

tagmac

04-29-2003, 09:11 PM

Why should it shock anyone that Disney would be so disgustingly PC about this? This is the same group that took the swords out of the "Pirates of the Carribbean" ride and replaced them with forks and knives because some feminist groups complained that it was "degrading to women." Never mind the fact that it was also meant to represent a different time period. This company is so worried about offending everyone else, that they're ruining the great franchise that Walt Disney built. If Walt knew what was going on, he'd roll over in his grave!

TheDarthVader

04-29-2003, 09:47 PM

I have never seen this movie, but now I really want to see it. Is it available for rent?

Eternal Padawan

04-30-2003, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by TheDarthVader
I have never seen this movie, but now I really want to see it. Is it available for rent?

Uhhhhh..no. Hence the thread about why it's "banned" by Disney.

Unless you find a bootleg of a PAL format VHS tape from Europe or Asia and get it transferred onto a more compatible American VHS format.

Beast

12-31-2004, 04:45 PM

Wow, this thread hasn't been visited for a while. There's some potential good news coming out of Disney for Song of the South. Especially now after Disney has released it's War Time cartoons, which had also been vaulted for a very long time due to being considered potentially insulting to how it stereotypes Germans and the Japanese.

Dick Cook, Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios spoke at this summer's Annual Convention of the NFFC, the club for Disney Enthusiasts. The Septeber/October 2004 issue of the FantasyLine Express (the club's newsletter) reported part of his talk:

After the formal part of his presentation, Cook took questions from Conventioneers. Among the issues on Conventioneers' minds:

Will Song of the South ever be released on DVD?

Yes. Cook said that the public has requested a DVD release of Song of the South more than it has requested any other film. That said, Disney also is aware that some elements of the film reflect the time in which it was made and don't reflect current attitudes. He said that the Studio has encountered similar issues with other older material. In some cases, such as some of the World War II material in the Walt Disney Treasures DVD series, they've addressed the issue through introductions that place the material in context. He said that Disney hasn't yet found the ideal solution for Song of the South, but he was confident that they would.
MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

stillakid

12-31-2004, 05:56 PM

Yeah, Song of the South. One of my earliest memories is when we went to see it at some drive-in theater in Toledo. I was pretty little. I vaguely remember falling asleep during the show. My mom said I woke up in the middle of it screaming from a nightmare. Assuredly, not Song of the South related. ;) But I have a distinct memory of the Zippidi Doo Da scene playing up there.

Man, that seems like forever ago...

Exhaust Port

01-01-2005, 01:07 AM

I remember seeing this movie as a young lad in the 1970's at the local library. They would show a movie every so often for young kids. The parents would drop you off and then be back to pick you up after it was over. They offered small bags of popcorn and stuff, it was quite fun for 5 year olds.

Odd that it seemed like a rather innocent film for my young mind. I came away singing the songs and hummed them for days after. :) I guess all these adults spend too much time reading into everything ever made as if that is what will turn us into bigots and killers. :rolleyes:

Jayspawn

01-05-2005, 10:15 AM

I'm in full support of "Song of the South" Its a wonderful movie and as JarJar said, its a product of a different time, in history and in film making. I'd buy an actual licenced DVD in a heartbeat.

Kids today will ride Splash Mountain and have no idea who the characters are. My Dad has a bootleg VHS of the movie. Still good!

stillakid

01-05-2005, 02:44 PM

I'm in full support of "Song of the South" Its a wonderful movie and as JarJar said, its a product of a different time, in history and in film making. I'd buy an actual licenced DVD in a heartbeat.

Kids today will ride Splash Mountain and have no idea who the characters are. My Dad has a bootleg VHS of the movie. Still good!

Right! And with that philosophy in mind, GL should release the original Star Wars Trilogy on HD DVD. :D

2-1B

01-06-2005, 03:44 AM

Racist or not, I still hate that goddamn song.

JEDIpartner

01-06-2005, 07:48 AM

I didn't notice anything racist about it as a child. *shrug* I just thought it was a neat little movie.

aceguide

01-06-2005, 08:56 AM

I think that the crime is that it is not on DVD. It is a great movie, and should be out there for everyone to enjoy.

PC behavior is allowing an entire generation of children to grow up sheltered from many of life's realities. We need to be able see good and bad in order to grow.

JON9000

01-06-2005, 11:16 AM

We need to be able see good and bad in order to grow.The difficulty with "Song of the South" is that it doesn't really show the bad, does it? It creates the impression that the immediate post civil war period in the south was an idyllic paradise for black folks, who got all kinds of fulfillment out of working for a pittance in the fields and catering to a white child's every whim.

That being said, I support the release of the movie. Although it is entirely ridiculous in its depiction of the period, it serves as a good reminder that prior to the civil rights movement, there was considerable distortion regarding our past. For better or worse, it is a good baramoeter of the national consciousness at the time and therefore has historic value. And it isn't any worse than "Gone with the Wind". :cool:

The reason everyone remembers this as an innocent little movie is because you were all innocent little people at the time you saw it.

Bosskman

01-06-2005, 08:57 PM

I saw it when my aunt took me and my sister to see it at the theatre in the mid 80s. I actually forgot about it till now but I do use the word "satisfactual" sometimes.......

Beast

03-11-2006, 07:05 PM

Well, the hopes that sanity would reign once Eisner was out of the big seat appears to have been for naught. Disney still refuses to release the film. :(

Iger States Disney Does Not Have Plans to Release Song of the South

During the question and answer session, Iger was asked regarding the future of Song of the South. He stated he had recently screened the film. And was concerned by some of the depictions and how they would be received. He stated that they have made the decision not to release the film.

2-1B

01-12-2008, 04:54 PM

Why should it shock anyone that Disney would be so disgustingly PC about this? This is the same group that took the swords out of the "Pirates of the Carribbean" ride and replaced them with forks and knives because some feminist groups complained that it was "degrading to women."

At least they didn't do that for the movies (well, the good one of the three at least).

POTC is not degrading to women but the sequel films are degrading to me as a viewer.

Never mind the fact that it was also meant to represent a different time period. This company is so worried about offending everyone else, that they're ruining the great franchise that Walt Disney built. If Walt knew what was going on, he'd roll over in his grave!

Even if his head knew what was going on, would his body be able to roll over since it's not attached to his head ?